Microinnovation Call (ERDF 2014-2020) and Digital Enterprise Call (ERDF 2021-2027)
About this good practice
Microinnovation Call (2020) and Digital Enterprise Call (2023), both being part of a wider regional strategy to strengthen the competitiveness of local SMEs, were launched in different times to allow SMEs to access the technology needed for their digitalization process.
The technology has been made available through a Catalogue of advanced and qualified services, firstly edited in 2007 and later updated (2020 and 2023) to bring the services into line with the digital evolution in the latest years.
As a result of the 2020 call, almost 300 enterprises were granted with more than 12 million euros. The three most demanded services were Cloud, Horizontal and Vertical integration, Big data and Analytics, whose main beneficiaries were the enterprises belonging to ICT and photonics.
Later on, the 2023 call organised the services into three pillars: digital and smart, digital and sustainable, digital and safe.
The first pillar (digital and smart) referred to those enabling technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain. For this pillar the allocation was 15 million Euros, whose 3 million dedicated to cybersecurity.
The second pillar referred to twin transition issues (i.e. environmental and quality certification). This pillar was awarded with 12 million Euros.
The last pillar was dedicated to improve workplace safety through innovative organization models, with a budget of 5 million Euros.
The total amount allocated for this call was 32 million Euros.
Resources needed
The 2020 call reached almost 300 enterprises for a total amount of 12 million Euros. The 2023 call closed on October 7th. 753 enterprises submitted their projects for investment for a total amount of over 54 million Euros of grants demanded.
Evidence of success
The financed projects allow the SMEs to develop their technological equipment mainly in a digital perspective.
Quantitative: 753 enterprises applied for the 2023 call for a total amount of over 54 million Euros of investmentes. The budget available was 32 million Euros and 617 enterprises were finally admitted to the grants as follows:
Digital and smart: 330 enterprises (19 mln Euros)
Digital and sustainable: 102 enterprised (5 mln Euros)
Digital and safe: 185 enterprises (7 mln Euros).
Potential for learning or transfer
The practice based on the catalogue for qualified and advanced services may inspire similar actions to be led in those regional contexts where SMEs start from the same technological level.
These calls can be potentially integrated with all those services related to CDR topics, for example to improve organization models.